Valve-port line.



Patented Mar. I9, I90I.

Wi. J. ULRICH.

VALVE PORT LINE.

(Application led June 30, 1900.)

(No Model.)

l mi uonms Pzsns co.. Puo'rouruo.. WASHINGTON. u. c.

llrrirnn Sterns Flament Prien.

VALVE-PORT LINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,215, dated March19, 1901.

Application led June 30, 1900. Serial No. 22,136. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, MAX J.ULRICH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden, State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valve-Port Liners, whichimprovement is fully set forth in the following specidcation andaccompanying drawings.

My invention consists of an improved construction of a valve-portlinerwhich is adaptmovements are imparted at the proper intervals to theslide and cut-off valves.

It further consistsin the provision of means for holding the valve-portliner immovable longitudinally, but permitting said liner to movevertically to compensate for wear.

It further consists of novel details of construction, all as will behereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

Figure 1 represents an end view of a cnt-od valve, slide-valve, and theinterposed valveport liner embodying my invention, a portion of thevalve-chest being shown in section. Fig. 2 represents a section on linemx, Fig. 1, showing the right-hand cut-off valve, valveport liner, mainvalve, and their adjuncts in assembled position. Fig. 3 represents asection on line `y y, Fig. 1, showing the left-hand cut-off valve,valve-port liner, main valve, and their adjuncts. Fig. 4 represents anoutside view showing the relative positions of the valve-rods and theiradj uncts. Fig. 5 represents, on an enlarged scale, a side elevation ofa portion of the valve mechanism seen in Fig. 3, whereby the slide andcut-off valves between which the valve-port liner is interposed areactuated. Fig. 6 represents an end view of an adjustable collar, seen indetached position. Fig. 7 represents a section on line ,e e', Fig. 5.Fig. 8 represents, on an enlarged scale, a sectional view showing thevalve-port liner, cut-od and main valves, and the lugs, wherebylongitudinal movement of said liner is prevented, the section beingtaken on line m', Fig. 3. Fig. 9 represents, on an enlarged scale, asectional perspective view of the left-hand valve-port liner and cut-offvalve.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures. l

Referring to the drawings, l designates the right-hand steam-cylinder,which is provided with only single ports 2 and 3 in each end thereof,ascontradistinguished from the usual style of d upleX-pump steam-cylinderwherein two ports at each end are employed to form a steam-cushion, itbeing apparent that in my style of cylinder, having one -port at eachend, the clearance is considerably reduced.

8 designates the main slide-valve, which is provided with the ports 9and l0,which permit.- the inlet of the motive fluid to each end of itscylinder, said valve having also the recess or port 11, whereby theexhaust is permitted when the parts are in the position seen in Fig. 2to flow to the main exhaust-port 12.

13 designates the valve-port liner, which is supported upon the mainslide-valve and is adapted to receive the cut-off valve 14, said mainslide-valve receiving its motion, as usual, from the opposite steamside, While the cutoff valve obtains its motion from its own side of theengine. The valve-port liner 13 is an open-ended casing, provided at itsopposite ends with the lugsi, which abut against the ribs 5, located atthe ends of the steam-chest, said liner being interposed between themain and cut-off valves and provided with the ports 6 and 7, it beingapparent that while the liner 13 is immovable longitudinally it is freeto move vertically or transversely to compensate for wear, the lugs etand ribs 5 serving as guides.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that if three-quarters cut-offis desired after the right-hand steam -piston .15 has traveledthree-quarters of its stroke the main lever 16, which operates in unisonwith said piston by reason of its engagement with the spool 17 on therod 18, will, because of its connection to the tappet 19 by the link 20,in conjunction with the collars 21 or 22, at the proper time close thesteam-port of the main slide-valve. Thus to effect a cut-off on theright-hand side the cutfolf valve will have to travel in the samedirection as its piston is traveling, while on the left-hand side thecorresponding cut'oif valve has to travel in a direction opposite to itspiston, the main slide-valves thus being constructed alike, while theeut-oil' valves slightly dil'fer in construction. The motion andregulation of each of the cutoff valves is effected by the propertappet, which receives its motion from the proper main lever. Thecollars 2l. and 22 are similar and threaded internally to engage thethreaded portions of the cut-oif-valve rod 23, and when said collars areadjusted nearer to the tappet an early cut-off results, and whenadjusted farther apart a late cutoff results. Each collar is slotted, asat 24, and provided with set-screws 25, whereby they can be retained inany desired position.

2G designates an index secured to each cutoif-valve rod to indicateprecisely at what cut-off each steam end is working under, each of saidcut-olf-valve rods having` its free end guided in ways 27 in thebearing-stand 2S. The lost motion of the main slide-valve, which mustnecessarily exist in this class of pumps, is either of the fixed oradjustable type, and I have changed the usual location of thelost-motion block to the valve-rod head, thereby diminishing the lengthof the steamchest and simplifying the construction, and thus reducingthe cost of manufacturing to a minimum. The valve-rod head-pin 29 of themain right-hand valve-rod 30 runs directly in the slot 3l of its link 32without necessitating the employment of any blocks as used heretofore,provided a so-called fixed inadjustable lost motion7 is used.

It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the distance between the steamports onthe upper portion of the main slide-valve is dimensioned so that at thedesired cut-otf there will always be a free opening for the enteringsteam at either the forward or return stroke, said main valve having onits front end a pocket 33 to receive the collar of the valve-rod, nolost motion being allowed here. The cut-oi valves are preferablycylindrical, so as to enable them lo work with the greatest possiblefreedom, each cutoff valve being balanced and guided in the valve-portliner, which is a very important feature in case the steam end of thepump should stand upright or be hung vertically.

The right'hand cut-off valve 14 is made in the sections 34 and 35 inorder to get short straight ports in the main valve 8, said sectionsbeing joined by the neck 36, adjacent to which are ports 37,wherebysteam can enter from the valve-chest at any time from both ends to iillthe inner portion of the right-hand cut-oft valve and thence enter itssteam-cyl inder.

3S designates the main valve of the lefthand cylinder, said Valve beingprovided with ports and supporting the valve-port liner 30, which isconstructed substantially like the right-hand liner 13.

40 designates the left-hand cut-off valve, (best seen in Fig. 3,) whichmay be a cylinder having a hub,wherein is secured an end of theleft-hand cutoff-valve rod 4l,which carries an index 42, tappet 43, andadjustable collars 44 and 45, all of which are similar to thecorresponding parts seen in Fig. 2, said cutoff-valve rod 4l also havingitsfreeend guided and sup ported in its bearing-stand. The left-handtappet 43 has connected thereto one end of the link 46, the other end ofthe latter being connected to the lever extension 47 ot' the left-handmain lever 48, it being of course understood that the well-known duplexInotion is employed in the left-hand as well as the right-l1and side ofthe pump or engine, as already explained, one piston following the otherafter the iirst has nearly completed its stroke. In other words, eachslide-valve receives its motion as usual from the opposite piston whileeach cutoff valve obtains its motion from the main lever on its ownside. The lefthand main-valve rod 49 is provided with a lost-motionconnection between the valverod head 50 and 51, as will be clearlyunderstood from Figs. 3 and 5, said lost-motion connection being similarto that already describedin connection with Fig. 3. It will thus be seenthat by my variable cut-off-valve gear any ratio of expansion can be hadin the limit of one-half stroke to full stroke on each side and that,furthermore, the right-hand and left-hand side can be adj ustedindependently of each other, which also holds good for the yoke end andhead end of each cylinder.

I have shown in Fig. 2 an arrangement of the ports which is especiallyapplicable to my construction of valve mechanism, wherein I employ threeports on the cylinder-face and but asingle port communicating with thebore of the cylinder at each end thereof, said ports being located farenough in the bore to effect the requisite cushioning of thesteam-piston. I also employ the V-shaped ports 52 and 53, located at theends of the cylinders, in order to permit the new live steam to enterbehind the piston and give the same its initial start, the V-shapedports (seen in Fig. 2) being of course applicable to both cylinders.

I desire to lay especial emphasis upon my novel feature ot' providingeach high-pressure cylinder in a duplex engine with but a single portleading into each extremity of each steam-cylinder, each of the latterbeing provided-with a cut-off valve coacting with its main slide-valveand the interposed valveport liner, in combination with the other novelfeatures of my invention. Asis well known to those skilled in this art,in the highpressure steam-cylinders of a duplex pumping-engine Where nocut-oii` is employed it is the usual practice to employ two ports at IOOIIO

IZO

each end of said cylinders for the purpose of creating a cushioningeffect upon the piston, it being evident that the live steam has to fillthese two ports before any propulsion of the steam-piston can takeplace, it beingalso apparent that as quick as the main slide-valve opensto the atmosphere said live steam contained in these two ports willescape to the atmosphere without doing any useful work, said portshaving to be refilled at every stroke, which is very wasteful, as isevident. Now when a cut-off valve is employed for each cylinder inconjunction with a single port at each end of each cylinder it isunnecessary to make allowance for any cushioning, since the latter isperfectly under the control of the operator and is effected by adjustingthe cut-od, whereby the piston is prevented from striking thecylinder-heads and a single port leading into the end of each cylinderwill suffice.

My invention can be readily applied to the smallest as well as thelargest steam-pumps and is also equally well adapted to compound ortriple-expansion pumping-engines.

It will be apparent that a duplex pump equipped with my invention canreadily show an economy or saving of thirty per cent. to fifty per cent.in fuel, and that under certain conditions its efficiency will equalthat of a compound pumping-engine.

It will be understood that I do not limit myself to steam pumping-engines exclusively, as the principle of my invention is equallywell adapted to compressed air and all other engines or motors as well.

` When my invention is applied to compound or triple-expansion engines,it will of course be apparent that the cut-off valve is applied to thehigh-pressure cylinder only, and in such cases cut-off valves of variousshapes may be employed, if desired. In cases Where an intermediatecylinder is employed between the high-pressure and low-pressurecylinders in a triple-expansion engine it will be linderstood that thelow-pressure and intermediate cylinders will have the usualslide-valves, which will coact with the main slide-valve on thehigh-pressure cylinder, upon which latter slide-valve my improvedvalve-port liner and cut-off valve are mounted.

I have deemed it unnecessary to illustrate the various modificationshereinabove referred to, as the principle of operation is the same ineach instance.

I desire to lay especial stress upon the employment of my novelconstruction of valveportliner,which is longitudinally immovable, butfree to move in an opposite direction or transversely to compensate forWear, wherefrom it will be apparent that the cut-off valves willpositively cut off at the desired part of the stroke under allconditions, whether the pump runs normal, full, or short stroke, or inwhatever position the same may stand.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A duplex steam-pump consisting of a plurality of high-pressuresteam-cylinders, steam-chests therefor, each cylinder having three portson its face, and asingle port communicating with each end of eachcylinder, main slide-valves for each cylinder, cut-off valves for eachof said slide-valves, a valveport liner between said main and cut-offvalves, said valve-port liner being immovable longitudinally but capableof transverse movement, means for causing one of said cutoff valves totravel in the same direction as its piston, and means for causing theother cut-off valve to travel in an opposite direction to its piston.

2. In a duplex steam-pump, a plurality of cylinders, steam-cheststherefor, each of said cylinders having three ports on each of theirfaces and a single port communicating with each end of each cylinder,main slide-valves for each cylinder, cut-off valves, a valveport linerbetween said main and cut -o valves, said valve-port linerbeingimmovable longitudinally but capable of transverse movement, means foractuating said slidevalves, means for causing one of said cut-off valvesto travel in the same direction as its piston, and means for causing theother cutoff valve to travel in an opposite direction to its piston.

3. The combination of aplurality of cylinders, main slidevalvestherefor, cutoff valves, one of said cut-od valves consisting ofsections joined by a hub, ports in said sections adjacent said hub forpermitting the motive fluid to fiow therethrough to said slide-valves, amovable valve-port liner intermediate said cutoff and slide valves andmeansfor actuating the latter and said cutoff valves.

4. The combination of a cylinder, a main slide-valve therefor, avalve-port liner mounted on said slide-valve and immovablelongitudinally but capable of transverse movement to compensate forwear, a cut-off valve located within said liner, said cut-off valveconsisting of a section joined by a hub, ports in said sections adjacentsaid hub, and mechanism for operating said slide and cut-off valves.

5. In a duplex pumping-engine, a pair of cylinders having pistonstherein, main slidevalves for said cylinder, cut-off valves for saidmain valves, a valve-port liner interposed between said valves andcapable of transverse movementto compensate for wear, one of saidcut-off valves being composed of sections joined by a hub or necks,ports in said sections adjacent each hub, the other cut off valve beinga plain cylinder, and means for actuating said main and cut-o valves.

6. A steam pumping-engine, consisting of a IOO IIO

plurality of high-pressure steam-cylinders, a valves consisting ofsections joined by a hub, single port leading Lo each end of each ofsaid ports in said sections adjacent said hub and Cylinders, mainslide-Valves for each eylinmeans for actuating said valves. der-,cut-ovalves for each of said slide-Valves,

5 a valve-port liner interposed between said Witnesses:

valves and capable of transverse movement HENRY E. CASTELLON, tocompensate for Wear, one of said eut-0ff JOHN W. DAWSON.

MAX J. ULRICH.

